


Trick of Light

by bluelovesstuff



Series: Soulmate AUs [1]
Category: Cow Chop, The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blind Character, Domestic Fluff, M/M, blind!Aleks, inaccuracy of how eyes work probably ?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-06-09 12:10:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6906412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluelovesstuff/pseuds/bluelovesstuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aleks is born without the ability to see. Lacking the ability to see in a grayscale world that turns into vibrant hues when you lock eyes with your soulmate is pretty <i>bullshit</i> in his opinion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What about blue?

**Author's Note:**

> I realized a week or two ago that this fandom really needs more soulmate!au, so I decided to write one. Hope you enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who's ready for a soulmate!au, I'm not! :) hope you enjoy this first chapter.

\--

 

His brain has trouble processing the images that his eyes relay to it, but his parents love him all the same. His mother rocks and sings him to sleep in her arms, watching as he blinks up at her with a lack of clarity before shutting them fully. His father helps him take his first steps by placing his small feet on the arches of his own and guiding him in the direction of his mother’s voice.

 

His childhood is normal and filled with happiness. On his first day of kindergarten, he becomes friends with a boy named Aron who sits next to him. Aron doesn’t seem to mind his blindness and goes on to gloat to the other six year olds that Aleks can hear and smell and taste better than _anyone_ in their class.

 

They become inseparable in that moment. Aron is the one who helps him through the elementary school playground, middle school hallways, and even walking on stage to get their high school diplomas.

 

In their mass of years together, the conversation of soulmates has always been a common topic between them. Poets and musicians rave and compose ballads attempting to describe the bursting moment of _color_ that one receives when they look into the eyes of their soulmate. It’s this blinding and bleeding of pigment onto the world.

 

You begin to see the color of their eyes since it is the thing you are focused on. Then, you begin to see things slowly trickling with color. Everyone’s stories of meeting their soulmates vary.

 

For example, Aron often tells Aleks of how his parents locked gazes while at a red light and that they were so frozen in their own world that they didn’t even hear the honking of horns behind them.

 

Aleks’ own parents met in a public library where his mother politely asked his father to reach up to grab a book for her, unknown to the both of them that each book in the library was a different color as they stared in awe at one another.

 

Aron was the only person in his life that truly knew his dejected feelings towards his low chance of finding his soulmate. If he couldn’t even see what was in front of him, how was he supposed to find the eyes of his soulmate?

 

Obviously, Aron would reassure him of the fact that blind men and women finding their soulmates wasn’t unheard of, but the encouragement did nothing to Aleks’ low expectations of finding the one person that the sardonic universe had assigned to him.

 

So when Aron meets his soulmate, a nice girl with the soft _gray_ eyes by the name of Candace, he becomes even more lost in his downcast mindset. Aron tells him all the things he didn’t realize he was missing in the world, like the ugly color of his car and the color of his soulmate’s hair, just as he always has done with describing the monochrome world to his best friend. And Aleks sits, listening with a soft smile as Aron goes on and on to truly _describe_ color.

 

“I think my favorite color might be red,” Aron says. “It gets your attention. It’s warm and pops out at you. Like firetrucks, you know they make those red to grab people’s attention? Or logos on chips and soda and stuff, they’re red to stand out.”

 

Aleks’ hands tighten in his lap. The two of them are sitting in Aron’s apartment at his kitchen table. His soulmate is about to come home from work, she’s an writer for a local newspaper company, and Aron finally wants him to meet her.

 

“What about blue?” Aleks asks quietly.

 

Aron hums, thinking for a moment, “It’s a _cold_ color, completely different from red. Like, when you touch ice and it stings. A lot of people associate it with being sad, but the sky on a nice day is this totally solid shade of blue and so is the water out by the pier.”

 

Aleks feels tears prickling at his eyes and Aron immediately reaches across the table to hesitantly touch his shoulder. Aleks attempts to blink away the tears, but one manages to slip out and the next thing he knows he’s crying and wiping his eyes in frustration with himself.


	2. At the right exact moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy this chapter :) I mean, how could I leave Trevor out of this. who doesn't like Trevor? (who's Trevor ??)

He breathes deeply, shutting his eyes as he realizes how selfish he’s being to his best friend, “ _Fuck_ , I’m so happy for you man. I’m really looking forward to meeting this girl.”

 

Aleks can’t see the tears in the younger man’s eyes, but he can hear him choking up across the table, “Hey, forget about that for right now,” he pauses, smiling and getting up to grab his keys on the kitchen counter, “how about we go to Trevor’s restaurant tonight instead? I hear your favorite band is playing tonight and I’ll even tell Candace that I’ll bring her back her favorite dessert.”

 

Since Aleks cannot see what’s thriving around him all his life, music has always been his own way of experiencing the world. It’s one of the reasons why he majored in sound engineering in college and worked with Brett down at the music store from time to time.

 

It’s listening to violins in his ears that help him formulate how the musician is twisting the bow across its strings. It’s sitting back at his desk and placing headphones over his ears and feeling the vibration of alternative echo through his body that helps him picture how the artist’s mouth appears singing against the microphone.

 

Aleks stands, pulling on his jacket as he hears Aron open the front door for him, “Alright, but no convincing me to have a drinking contest with you at the bar like last time. I have enough impairments already.” He jokes.

 

Aron drives them to Trevor’s traditional restaurant placed in the center of a downtown and city-like atmosphere. Streetlights are just now flickering on as they attempt to find a spot to park along the sidewalk. As Aron fills the parking meter for a good amount of time, Aleks can just begin to hear the sound of the band begin to play inside the restaurant down the street.

 

Aron guides him on the sidewalk, joking as Aleks almost slips over a crack in the concrete, “Maybe I need to get you a service dog for your birthday. I heard you can even take those things into supermarkets now, how awesome would that be?”

 

Aleks laughs with him and shakes his head, “I thought that was what you were for, you asshole.”

 

They finally reach the restaurant, its doors and windows open as music pours out onto the street. The establishment is quaint and small, but filled with wooden panel walls, soft white-sheeted tables and warm glass encased candles that offer a homegrown feeling to it that Aleks can’t ever get enough of. The band plays in the front of the room on a small stage and he can already feel himself swaying to the sound of the woman’s voice.

 

Trevor immediately spots them as they walk through the door and gets them one of the best tables in the house in the center of the room. Aron teases him about his food-covered apron as usual and Trevor laughs as he sits down to talk with them for a few minutes.

 

He has been close friends with the pair ever since they finished high school and continues his love of cooking by running his own family restaurant. Aleks listens as the man goes on to enthusiastically ask Aron about his newly found soul mate. Trevor himself had found his soulmate in his first year of culinary school in college and currently has a young son with another one on the way.

 

Aleks tries to hold down the jealousy rising in the chest in listening to the conversation, but Aron has always told him that he’s an open book regarding his emotions and it apparently shows as Trevor turns to smile to the man in sympathy.

 

“You’ll find yours, Aleks. Don’t worry.” Trevor reassures as their food arrives at their table. “The universe will give them to you at the right exact moment that you are supposed to find them. It just works out like that.”

 

Aleks sighs and smiles to him as Trevor leaves them to get back to the kitchen. He’s had too many people tell him that same thing for his entire life, but for some reason, it feels better hearing it from someone who has had so much love and dedication to his soulmate like Trevor.

 

He then listens to Aron as he begins to describe the color and shape of the band’s new bass guitar in its stand on the stage. Aleks thinks it sounds like one of the new models that Brett was telling him about at the music store and wishes that he could see it for himself for a moment before shaking his head in dismissal.

 

He’s never going to _see_ it or anything else that he _hears_ or _tastes_ or _touches_.

 

Aron calls for the check as Aleks just finishes eating his meal. They split the bill, give Trevor a humorous and heartfelt goodbye, and begin to pick up their things to leave.

 

Aleks stands and lets out a soft groan of aggravation as he hears his phone that was once on tablecloth hit the ground with a thud. Just as he turns to grab it, someone makes a noise of recognition and reaches down to pick it up for him.

 

“Thanks, I don’t even remember taking it out of my pocket during dinner.” Aleks says, kindly giving the stranger a warm smile.

 

He hears a laugh come from the man who must still be reaching down for his clumsily dropped phone, “Not a problem. I’m always leaving my wallet behind when we go out too.”

 

Aleks opens his mouth to make one more thankful statement of small talk to the man, but finds himself frozen and moving in a slow and hazy light for a moment. The back of his head suddenly gives a warm and strange throb and he reaches up for inspection.


	3. Within hours of meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I really enjoyed writing this chapter of them getting to know one another the most. hope you like it and I'll be sure to read over it again to definitely make sure there are no errors.

It takes him 350 milliseconds to blink his eyelids shut and open again and suddenly there’s so much ablaze _light_ and clear _depth_ and _shapes_ of objects and people forming around him steadily.

 

He blinks repeatedly as he hears Aron’s concerned voice in his right ear. His vision, _holy fuck his_ **_vision_** , clears and he can finally make out the tilted upward face of the man who picked up his phone for him.

 

His mouth is open and all Aleks can see is _brown_ eyes.

 

Brown eyes, brown eyes, _brown eyes_.

 

And then, then he sees the same _black_ that he’s seen all his life under his lids in the man’s eyelashes and facial hair and hair tucked under the same colored beanie. There are even hints of _brown_ in the curly hair. He sees the _pink_ of his widely parted mouth. He sees the tint of it in the man’s face and his cheeks and the _light tan_ of the man’s skin.

 

He takes in the _green_ of the man’s t-shirt and all he can think about is all the descriptions of grass and life and the color of his mother’s eyes that his father is always telling him about. His jeans are _blue_ and the word ‘blue jeans’ suddenly makes so much sense to him because it’s the perfect word to describe the shade. There’s even a vibrant colored watch on the man’s wrist that has Aleks questioning whether its _yellow_ or _orange_ because its so bright and he can picture the beaming sun being the same color as the accessory.

 

When everything comes into focus, all he can say to the man is, “You have the most beautiful eyes.”

 

The man blinks and Aleks revels in the bright shade of red that appears on his cheeks at the statement, “So do you. It’s- it’s so _amazing_ to _finally_ meet you.” The man stands slowly and sets the napkin in his lap to the side as he continues to keep his gaze centered on him, “Would it- would you mind going on a walk with me?”

 

Aleks blinks away any last bit of fog in his vision, still slightly disoriented, and nods as he surveys that the man just around his own height, “Of course, _of course_.”

 

The man smiles and looks dazedly to his friend who sits at the table, awestruck and beaming at the pair, “We’ll be back- we’ll be back soon, Joe. Just,” the man trails off as his eyes get caught on Aleks once again, “leave the apartment door unlocked for me.”

 

Aleks glances over to Aron and swears he could bursts from happiness in seeing his best friend for the first time. Aron has his hands held against his head in disbelief and eyes wide in happiness as Aleks stares clearly back at him.

 

Aron blinks at him, swatting his hands at his friend as if shooing him away and as he whispers encouragingly, “Well, go ahead, you _idiot_.”

 

The brown-eyed man gestures for him to lead the way and Aleks finally takes the time to notice almost everyone in the restaurant staring at them. Aleks is positive he knows almost everyone in the room, but falters in greeting them because he just doesn’t know their _faces_. But, he knows that they know him because of their evident shock and wonder in his newly acquired sight.

 

His soulmate, he decides that that’s going to take some getting used to, holds the door open for him as they step out onto the sidewalk. Aleks doesn’t know what to say or where to start, but the man seems to sense this and smiles at him as they begin to walk along the streetlights in the cool night.

 

“My name is James. James Wilson.”

 

Aleks smiles in appreciation at the name, “Aleks Marchant.”

 

James laughs lightly and Aleks adores the hint of nervousness that lingers in the sound, “What was the first color that you saw?”

 

Aleks realizes how close they are as their shoulders brush against each other, looking into his eyes for a moment before grinning and glancing to the ground, “Your eyes, of course. I never really believed what everyone said about seeing them being the first thing you see.”

 

James gives him a small smile, “So what you said about them were true?”

 

Aleks looks over to the irises again, seeing the streetlights reflect in them as he replies quietly, “Well, they were the first thing that I’ve ever seen, so that might be a factor in why.”

 

James furrows his brow, “First thing that you’ve ever seen in color, you mean?”

 

Aleks shakes his head, sighing as he taps his head, “I was born with a condition where my optic nerves malfunctioned in relaying the images that my retinas saw to my brain. It sounds complicated, but it’s really just my brain fucking up on how it processed things.”

 

James opens his mouth in confusion, but closes it when realization dawns over him, “You have the ability to see now because of meeting _me_?”

 

Aleks smiles and shrugs, “Yeah, maybe meeting my soulmate was what my brain needed to kick itself back into gear.” He frowns for a moment and rubs at the back of his neck, “I never even, um, expected to meet you with my blindness. I never thought that I would be able to look you in the eye.”

 

James surprises him as he reaches down to grasp his hand in his, lacing their fingers together as he states sheepishly, “Well, I’ll have you know that having your eyes be the first thing I ever see in color is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”

 

“What color are they?” Aleks asks.

 

James gestures to the dark glass window of a small shop next to them, "See for yourself." 

 

Aleks had almost forgotten of his lack of knowledge of what he actually looked like. Aron, quite annoyed when Aleks actually asked him because he asked him  _at least_ twice a month what he looked like, would tease that his best friend was average in the looks department, but once Aleks expressed his concern for this after believing that Aron was confessing the truth about his appearance Aron quickly -- and stubbornly -- admitted that Aleks was a more than decent looking guy. Aleks had never expected that he would truly get the chance to see what he looked like in the mirror. 

 

But with James' hand in his own, he takes a deep breath and turns to face the reflective glass. He didn't know what he expected, but staring at the image before him was as if he was staring at a stranger and not his own reflection. He could barely make out the color of his hair, but he could make it out enough to confirm that it was no doubt the same color as his mother's as she always tells him. His face was long and thin, his skin pale as he stood beside James in the cold air. His favorite sweatshirt that's been washed so many times that it's his softest piece of clothing in his closet is  _blue_. His jeans are a _dark tan_ and his shoes are a simple _gray_. He wonders for a moment how strange it will be to enter his house and see all the familiar items suddenly scream out their color to him. 

 

"What are you thinking? Not what you expected?" James asks. 

 

Aleks runs a hand through his short hair, moving to turn around and move his arms in different positions as he stares at the reflection, "I don't know what to think. I never really could form an actual image of what I looked like from what people told me. I never had anything to base it on." 

 

James smiles, "Well, if it makes you feel any better I think I got a pretty good-looking soulmate. I think you might've gotten swindled with me as your soulmate, Aleksandr." 

 

James tugs at his hand gently and Aleks joins in sync with his footing as they begin to walk down the sidewalk once again, bumping his shoulder playfully as if scolding, "Swindled by having you as a soulmate? I doubt it."  

 

Aleks shifts his fingers and firmly sets them into the other’s hand, “So, where are you from?”

 

James begins to talk about his hometown in Pennsylvania and how he and his longtime best friend Joe were in town on business. They co-run a business called ‘ _Cow Chop_ ’, James quickly reassuring him that the name is just a silly running childhood joke, and develop video games for a living. He explains that he and Joe have always had a passion for video games and the like. He even mentions that he has a corgi named Ein and that he’s sure that she’ll like him because she loves _everyone_.

 

They ask each other about their lives and everything in between. James tells him that he’s one of the most stubborn people that Aleks will ever meet, but he might just tame the tendency just for his soulmate. Aleks tells him of his love for music and James wholly gives his attention to the brunet as he goes on about the endless possibilities of studying music even more now that he can actually read sheet music and learn how to play some of his favorite instruments.

 

At the end of the night, the two somehow end up back outside the restaurant.

 

James offers to drive Aleks home and the two find themselves arguing playfully about what radio station to settle on in the warmth of the car. They finally agree on a compromise and Aleks finds himself smiling at James’ profile as he drives, staring in some type of incredibly infatuated soulmate induced daze.

 

He doesn’t notice the flashing of the city’s color until they’re on the highway and suddenly he’s seeing so many bright shades of neon from department store signs, cars zooming past him, and billboards. His eyes are wide with wonder and he turns to James to see a similar expression on his own face.

 

So Aleks reaches over to take James’ hand in his, keeping their hands connected as they exit the highway to see fields of flowers varying in color under the moonlight just outside his neighborhood.

 

When James finally pulls into the brunet’s driveway, Aleks has tears forming in his eyes.

 

James reaches over to attempt to brush them away with his sleeve as they fall, frowning, “Hey, hey... You alright?”

 

Aleks shrugs and lets out a choked and tear-filled laugh, lifting his hand to rest on top James’ own against his cheek, “I just can’t fucking believe this is happening to me. I just can’t believe I found my soulmate and that you’re just... so stupidly _you_. I don’t know why I’m fucking crying about it.”

 

“You’re happy, Aleks. It’s okay to be happy about this.” James says, his soft laughter filling the quiet car.

 

Aleks leans in, hand moving to rest on the older’s own cheek. He laughs at the strange feeling of James’ beard against his fingertips, but knows that he’ll become used to it as he inches closer and smiles as James brushes his lips against his own.

 

Aleks presses back against the kiss, taking his other hand off his own cheek to grip the hair peeking from James’ beanie. James hums and it sends shivers through his body. James tilts head, hesitantly pressing his tongue against the brunet’s lips. Aleks parts them welcomingly and time slips away from him until he has to pull away from him for air.

 

James sends him a dazed smile as his eyes shine in the darkness of the car, “So, does this mean you’re okay with having me as a soulmate? Because I’m pretty sure the universe did a pretty good fucking job with tethering our souls together and-”

  
Aleks kisses to shut him up, pulling back to rest his head against James’ shoulder and stow the moment away in his mind for safe keeping. James does the same, wrapping his arm around the brunet’s shoulder as he inhales and wonders what the percentage is of soulmates falling in love within hours of meeting each other.


	4. Your flowers are beautiful

James and Aleks both decided that Aleks would visit his family a few weeks prior to the first formal event of the brunet’s parents meeting James.

 

Aleks had planned it to occur just a week after they had found one another, promptly calling his mother to check in with her and see if it was all right that he visited home that weekend.

 

She had asked if he needed his father or her to give him a ride over, but he shook his head over the phone and smiled as his grip on the phone tightened in swelling anticipation. She did not know James had had the patience to personally teach him how to drive, with little to no accidents, and had even offered his own car to use to visit his parents.

 

"Are you sure, honey?" She had said, "It's not that far of a drive."

 

Aleks had tried not to give the tears gathering in his eyes from his voice, "I just- I think it'll be better if you and Dad waited for me at home. Aron is dropping me off, it's fine."

 

He had then climbed into James’ borrowed car, fingers brushing over the smooth, leather bracelet around his wrist. Connecting the leather was a vintage silver plate that had an inscribed date that read, ‘ _1-29-15’_. It was a common tradition to get complementing bracelets with personalized inscriptions such as names, places, colors, or dates.

 

He had drove to his home, only to take a few minutes to revel in the glory of seeing his childhood home for the first time in his life. He had gotten out of the car and hesitantly had knocked on the door because _he was about to see his parents_ _for the_ _first time_.

 

When his mother had opened the door, he had said the only thing he could say to the most important woman in his life, “Your flowers in the yard are _beautiful_.”

 

And she had given him a soft smile with a hint of uncertainty in her features before she noticed how clearly he was staring at her. She had walked towards him in hesitance, hand reaching up to cup his face as he gazed at her with complete focus.

 

She had abundantly cried that day, gripping the back of his shirt as he stuffed his face in her hair. His father had found them like that, swaying in an embrace on the front doorstep. He had glanced at them in utter confusion before Aleks finally lifted his head to look at him.

 

His father must’ve had sensed it just as his mother did, for he ran over to them and joined in their clutching embrace.  

 

That day was the day he had rhapsodized to them about James.

 

Neither of them had cared that he was male; you couldn’t frankly argue with the universe’s choice of the person on earth who was supposedly your other half. He had taken out his phone and had shown them pictures of James with Ein and pictures of Aron, Joe, Trevor, himself, and James sitting along the his living room's couch in the early morning.

 

So, obviously, when Aleks takes James to finally meet his parents, his mother hugs him with so much gratitude and love that Aleks has to pry his soulmate from her arms out of embarrassment.

 

His father greets him in a little more stereotypical approach, with the ' _you better treat my son right or I'll beat your ass_ ' kind of handshake, but the act crumbles immediately and is replaced with kindness within a few minutes of chatting with the Marchants.

 

After his parents spend a few more minutes speaking with James, his father wrangles them into the living room to watch some baseball as his mother, who had _insisted_ on a divine home cooked meal, prepares dinner. His father shares tales of Aleks’ own days of playing baseball, much to Aleks’ protests, but James is as stunningly attentive as always to hear about his soulmate.

 

It’s as if, to James, these little bits and pieces of information about his soulmate are the most rare secrets of data that only he is privileged to know. Aleks doesn’t understand it, but he assumes that that’s a good thing; how intricate James is with all of this.

 

Halfway through the fifth inning, James excuses himself to the bathroom. When his soulmate doesn’t return, Aleks soon finds out later that he was helping his mother with dinner in the kitchen. Soon after, they eat a good meal in the dining room and James answers the majority of their questions with honest perfection.

 

At the end of the night, his mother had already begun to plan to invite James’ family down for a visit (or vice-versa) and his father had already ‘accidentally’ called James _son_ three times. They wave as the younger pair climb back into James’ car, laughing with one another about how natural _this_ whole thing was to both of them.


	5. Grander Scheme of Things

Without the help of Aron breaking the effects of his aftershock with his full supply of terrible and teasing jokes, Aleks would’ve probably been out cold on the floor hundred-and-eight seconds ago.

 

His hand trembles under the weight of the small, black box in his palm.

 

It started off as any other day in the Marchant-Wilson household. James woke up bright and early, pressing a kiss somewhere onto Aleks’ skin as he carefully slipped from bed to leave for work. Aleks murmured out not to forget about his lunch is in the fridge. James gave Ein and Mishka a few loving scratches behind the ears before departing for the day.

 

Aleks woke up an hour or so later, getting dressed for the day and clicking his tongue for the dogs to join him for their morning walk. When he returned, he fixed himself a cup of coffee, began to go through his emails, and started on a job from one of his graphic design customers asking him to construct their company a new logo, website, or business model.

 

He spent his morning just like that with Ein and Mishka curled up at his feet until Aron sent him a text telling him that he was coming over for lunch. Aleks had laughed at his unquestioning statement and had opened the door to his smiling best friend, spending the remainder of the afternoon nibbling at a supreme pizza.

 

It was then that Aron had suggested they finally go through the brunet’s terribly organized bookshelf of blu-rays and weathered DVDs for entertainment. They had searched for at least a _semi_ -entertaining film, but found none and had hopelessly taken refuge on the floor as they sifted through the final bottom shelf with no sight of success near.

 

Aleks had been reaching to pull out one of James’ favorite copies of ‘ _Fight Club_ ’ when his finger suddenly brushed over something behind the movie’s case. He had narrowed his eyes, reaching blindly until his fingers took hold of a small box encased in some sort of velvet material.

 

When he pulled the small into view, he had stood -- _shakily_ , to say the least-- and had whispered out a statement that Aron will never forget.

 

“That _son-of-a-bitch_ tried to hide a ring from me, Aron. He tried to surprise me, Aron. Can you believe that?”

 

Aron had hesitantly walked over to his friend, placing his hands on his shoulder as he eyed him carefully, “You alright, man?”

 

Aleks had let out a soft laugh, a smile enveloping his face, “Of course, I am- I’m marrying James Wilson, _holy-fucking-shit_. Aron, I’m _marrying James_.” Aron had watched as Aleks visibly swelled with elation as he pulled his friend into a jumping embrace, “He’s proposing, Aron!”

 

Aleks had even attempted to open the box, but Aron had quickly swiped it from his grasp and proceeded to run from the brunet around the house. Aleks might’ve been fast, with his runner’s legs, but Aron had been smaller and that simple fact allowed him to make quicker turns around the house’s halls and rooms.

 

“You’ll _hate_ yourself if you spoil the surprise of what it looks like!” Aron had yelled in laughter as he turned a corner, “James will know just by the look on your face, you idiot!”

 

That statement had made Aleks slow his footing momentarily, both men slouched over as they caught their breaths. Aron then had proceeded to walk over to the bottom shelf, pushed the box back in its previous position, and rearranged the blu-rays and dvds in precious order.

 

He had pointed a finger to Aleks with a grin and had stuck out his hand, “We never saw it. Swear?”

 

Aleks had swallowed back a protest, eyes pained as he exhaled and tightly gripped his friend’s hand, “I hate you _so much_ , dude.”

  
Aron had given him a small shove, “Whatever you say, _Mr. Wilson_.”

 

\--

 

Only a month passes till James finally gets on one knee in front of Aleks in the restaurant where they first met. All of their friends and family are present, secretly hiding and peering at out the pair through Trevor’s kitchen window, as James takes a breath and smiles up at Aleks.

 

Aleks thinks that it would be agreeable if he breathed a little as he stared down at him in shock, but he can’t find the air to do so properly. So, he simply blinks and wonders what he ever did to deserve this.

 

“Aleks Vitalyevich Marchant,” James begins. “Before I met you, I didn’t realize how much I was missing in my life. I was not just missing color. I was missing pieces of myself that I didn’t know I needed until I met you. You’re more than my soulmate and words can’t describe _how much_ I loved you the moment I saw you here, in this very spot. You’re like this- light in my life and you make me _laugh_ and _think_ and get my blood running just when I need it.”

 

Aleks takes a sharp intake of breath when James pulls a familiar black box from his jacket’s pocket, fumbling in a way that makes Aleks tearfully smile just a bit.

 

“Well, I'll just stop this awkward rambling and tell you. You’re the kindest, most striking, and attentive man that I’ve ever met. Even if we hadn't been given to each other as soulmates, I would've liked to think that I would've found you, somehow, in the grander scheme of things. I believe that I've always chosen you in all of our lifetimes together, in all our hundreds of worlds. I'll always try to find you. Aleks, will you marry me?”

 

Aleks doesn’t process his arms moving to pull James up from his spot below him, but he does make sure to give his head the slightest nod as he smiles and places his hand behind James’ neck to pull him in for an affirmative kiss. He can feel James’ smile against his lips and breaks away as the other man slips the silver band on his finger.

 

He glances down, taking in the shining ring now adorning his hand. The sight of it steals even more breath from his lungs and James laughs softly at his _fiancé_  as he reaches into his back pocket to pull out a ring similar to the one on Aleks’ own finger.

 

“They have our initials inscribed on them with the date we met,” James says, his voice dropping to a whisper as he slips on his own ring. “That was a pretty fucking special day for me, meeting my other half and all.”

  
Aleks’ face softens with a smile and he takes the older’s hand, thumb brushing over the metal as he whispers sincerely, “I think it just might be my favorite.”


End file.
